This blog contains assorted news and commentary on the fundraising profession and philanthropy gathered by the AFP Fundraising Resource Center.
Other Sites of Interest Section Disclaimer:
AFP provides the following listing of hyperlinks to other Internet pages as a privilege to the user. AFP does not necessarily endorse, support or attest to the accuracy of information posted on those Internet pages. Some links may require registration to view and/or may only be available for a limited time.

Friday, July 09, 2010

DON'T DROP THE BALL ON THE ANNUAL BALL - Association Bisnow - Washington: "Of course, there's an acronym for evaluating events: SMART. Gloria suggests first asking whether the event has a specific purpose, such as generating publicity, raising visibility, or bringing in new donors. Then, consider how you might define success and measure it. (Did media show up? Did donors increase their gifts?) Don't forget some sort of cost/benefit analysis to determine if those goals are achievable or realistic. 'You don't want to put yourself in hole,' Gloria says. Lastly, the timetable. Choosing the date is often one of the most difficult decisions,"

Blue Star Museums is a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 850 museums in all 50 states to offer free admission to military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, May 31, 2010, through Labor Day, September 6, 2010."

People who willingly take on significant board challenges inspire me. Tanya Gulliver is one of those people. After serving as president of the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) for one year, Gulliver volunteered to do it again and serve a second term. Not many people have that level of commitment, particularly after having already served a number of years on the board — she worked her way up to the position of president."

As the nonprofit community determines just how much they might see postal rates increase next year, it's clear that Standard Mail Parcels will get hit with the largest increases – 23 percent – under an exigent rate case filed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) today.

How much the nonprofit rate for Standard Parcel or other categories used by nonprofits will increase is unclear, but USPS appears to be moving toward having categories cover more of their costs to handle."

massnonprofit.org ::: "McWhite developed a number of principles to guide her work, including “Art is for everyone.” In mid-2009, she became director of Fuller Craft in Brockton, the only contemporary craft museum in New England, and uses her personal motto to make the museum as inclusive as possible."

Seattle-based microfinance provider Unitus will dissolve operations, lay off all 45 of its employees, and redirect its assets into a new antipoverty venture, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.

In a press statement, Unitus said that after fulfilling existing commitments, it will form a “reinvented organization” to work on “poverty-focused philanthropic activities.”"

Leadership in Focus: Janet Austin: "This month in our Leadership in Focus series we feature Janet Austin, CEO of YWCA Vancouver. Before joining the ranks of one of BC's largest, most diverse, and entrepreneurial nonprofit organizations, Janet served as executive director of Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland and as the director of development services for BC Housing. Though she didn't start out in the nonprofit sector, Janet's unwavering passion for and commitment to volunteerism inspired a career shift. Thankfully, that passion is seemingly burning still."

Small and mid-sized foundations were more generous to charities than they had to be last year, according to a new study.

More than eight out of 10 small and midsize foundations spent more than the minimum distribution required by law—which is about 5 percent of investment assets each year—according to a study by Foundation Source, a company that provides services for family foundations and other philanthropies."